THE SECOND BOOK OF THE
CHRONICLES

2 Chronicles 23 ©

Joash, at the age of seven years, is made king by Jehoiada’s direction, v. 1, etc. Athaliah is put to death, 12. The covenant between Lord and the king with his people is renewed, 16. Idolatry removed, 17. Ecclesiastical order re-established, 18. And the king brought home to his house with joy, 20.

1

AND1 in the 2seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

2

And they went about in Judah, and gathered 3the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers 4of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3

And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And 5he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, asa the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

4

Thisbis the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters 6of the doors;

5

And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the 7gate of the foundation: and 8all the people shall be in the 9courts of the house of the LORD.

6

But let none come into 10the house of the LORD, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are 11holy: but all the people shall keep 12the watch of the LORD.

7

And the 13Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh 14into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king 15when he cometh in, and when he 16goeth out.

8

So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and 17took every man 18his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the 19courses.

9

Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, 20that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.

10

And he 21set all the people, every man having his 22weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the 23altar and the 24temple, by the king round about.

11

Then they brought 25out the king's son, and put upon him the 26crown, and gave him the 27testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, 28God save the king.

12

¶Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD:

13

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood 29at his pillar at the 30entering in, and the 31princes and 32the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and 33sounded with trumpets, also the singers 34with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing 35praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

14

Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth 36of the ranges:c and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.

15

So 37they laid hands on her; and when she was come 38to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.

16

¶And Jehoiada made a covenant between 39him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD's people.

17

Thend all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slewe Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18

Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whomf David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the lawg of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, 40as it was ordained by David.

19

And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.

20

And he took the captains of hundreds, and the 41nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the 42high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21

And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.